US voters punish Republicans over economy and Iran war

Donald Trump’s claims that the United States had entered a “golden age” failed to persuade voters in the midterm elections, as Republicans suffered losses across the country. Voters treated Trump’s record and agenda as being on the ballot, rejecting his account of prosperity amid dissatisfaction with the economy and the Iran war.

Voters cited the cost of living, healthcare, tariffs, corruption, immigration enforcement and concerns about the rule of law. A Republican official in Arizona said key expectations of Trump’s 2024 supporters had gone unmet, including lower inflation and fuel prices and avoiding foreign wars. Trump later denied responsibility for his party’s defeat, saying he would have won “in a landslide” if he had been on the ballot.